Grey's culture 5 March 2017 09:03

The last fortnight had been a busy and eventful period of time here at Grey College with many events that took place. The summer sports season has been in its final throes and preparations have already started for what promises to be an exciting winter sports season. Both hockey-, rugby- and soccer trials took place during the past week and our first hockey squad also had a hockey camp to build team spirit and camaraderie last weekend. The school also hosted a very successful inter-cultural evening with our guests St. Albans, from Pretoria, that visited the school as part of their annual roadshow and their presence added, with Eunice High School, and our own boys, lustre to the evening. The audience was certainly spoiled with performances of a very high standard by all three schools present and especially our choir, ensemble, senior boereorkes, gum boot dancers and Indomitus singing group left the audience breathless with their riveting performances.

Our guest speaker the evening was Old Grey, Gerrie Swart, who is a well-known rugby- and sports agent with international acclaim. He informed both boys and parents on the pitfalls and dangers of becoming a professional rugby player. His message to especially the boys was that one needs to dream big back that one also needs to be realistic about making a living after professional rugby. He informed the boys and parents that one needs to have a specific plan with ones rugby career but that one cannot be successful without a sound foundation of moral values in place to fall back onto when things do not go your way. Grey College is well-known as a ‘rugby factory’, with a history of producing international rugby players, but statistically the school only produces an international rugby player once every three years and this sobering thought was one that both parents and boys present had to take heed of. I came across the following prayer by Gregg Easterbrook which I thought is appropriate at the start of the winter sports season:

“God, let me play well but fairly.

Help me to learn something that matters once the game is over.

Let competition make me strong but never hostile.

Always let me help my opponent up.

Never catch me rejoicing in the adversity of others.

If I know victory, allow me to be happy; if I am denied, keep me from envy.

The academic assessment period is starting on Monday and I trust that all of the boys will also use this opportunity to show their academic mettle and progress in the classroom. We are also hosting Waterkloof and Southdowns College from Pretoria next weekend as the guests of our Sports Day and I appeal to all parents to assist with the hosting of our visitors.